The invention relates to a method for conveying objects from a conveying means to at least two apparatuses for further processing of the objects, comprising the steps: cyclic feeding of a string, formed from several objects arranged side by side and produced in a production machine, on to the conveying means, dividing the string into at least two partial strings and removal of the partial strings to the apparatuses for further processing of the objects by the conveying means. Furthermore, the invention relates to an arrangement for conveying objects from a production machine to apparatuses for further processing of the objects, essentially comprising a production machine for producing the objects, a conveying means for removing a string formed from the objects to the apparatuses for further processing and at least two apparatuses for further processing of the objects, the conveying means being constructed in such a way that the string positioned on the conveying means can be divided, so that partial strings can be conveyed to different apparatuses for further processing, and an apparatus for conveying objects transversely to their incoming transport direction, essentially comprising a support element clamping a transport plane for depositing the objects and also conveying means extending over the entire deposit width of the objects with a transport area and a return area for simultaneous removal of the objects in the removal direction, the conveying means being arranged in an idle position underneath the support element and able to be brought into contact with the objects for transport purposes only.
Known methods, arrangements and apparatuses of this kind serve, e.g. in the paper industry for transporting stacked leaves, sheets, or the like made of cardboard, paper, plastics material or other stackable materials from a collecting station arranged downstream of a production machine to packing machines or the like.
Inside a normally multi-copy production machine, so-called reams of paper are continuously formed in the form of layers of leaves or stacks of leaves by longitudinal and/or transverse cutting of lengths of material, e.g. lengths of paper. Several reams of paper lying closely side by side form a ream row, also designated below as a ream string. This ream string is deposited in a collecting station. By suitable means, advantageously a system of tongs, the ream string is pulled on to an apparatus for conveying the ream transversely to its incoming transport direction, or placed on said apparatus. A ream string consists of at least two reams, but can be extended by many times this. However, each ream string is generally further processed, namely preferably packaged. The individual apparatuses, e.g. the production machine and the packing machines, are therefore geared to one another with their respective capacities. Normally a 14-copy production machine, for example, produces more reams than an individual packing machine can take off. In order to increase the productivity of production lines of this kind, in other words to adapt the take off to the production, packing machines are arranged preferably on both sides of the production machine or the collecting station. As a rule both packing machines are supplied evenly with reams.
For practical feeding, in particular dependent on assignments, of the reams to the two packing machines the ream string is divided. The dividing of the ream string can be achieved by different configurations of the conveying means. By division of the ream string a first partial string is conducted to a first packing machine and a second partial string to the second packing machine, the packing machines preferably being arranged on opposite sides of the conveying means. In this way, it is achieved on the one hand that different assignments, e.g. if one part of the reams is packed in blue cover paper, while another part is packed in red cover paper, can be finished off in parallel. On the other hand, the reams are quickly conducted out of the production machine or the conveying means.
In known methods and arrangements the division of the string is done by means of manual settings on the conveying means. However, setting can take place only when the machine is shut down and is normally done before the start of the respective assignments. The known methods have the disadvantage that because the machine is shut down the efficiency of the overall arrangement drops. Additionally, breakdowns or failures of individual components of a packing machine, for example, can be only partially compensated for. This means that the production quantity lost to a packing machine owing to a breakdown can be subsequently compensated for only to a limited extent. However, this results in the assignment for one packing machine being able to be met, whilst the other packing machine is still finishing off its assignment, so that the packing machines have met their assignments at different times.
Furthermore, apparatuses are known in which, in an example case in which a ream string is formed from fourteen reams, in other words, e.g. comprises stacks formed from fourteen copies/piles with 500 leaves of paper of format DIN A4, the ream string is divided evenly, so that the apparatus for conveying the reams removes seven reams in each case transversely to their incoming transport direction on both sides. For this purpose the known apparatus is divided in the area of a parting line, so that conveying of a number of reams on each side is guaranteed. This parting line is displaceable in order to enable unequal supply to the packing machines arranged on both sides, e.g. in the event that one of the packing machines has been shut down owing to a defect or because the packing machines are to be differently loaded. Apparatuses of this kind have the disadvantage, however, that, conditional on structure, only a small travel path is available, so that dividing the reams of a ream string is possible only to a limited extent.
In another known apparatus of the generic kind a first conveying line is provided which is suitable for removal in one direction or the other. However, in order to enable an even supply to the packing machines arranged on both sides of the apparatus, in particular in the event that the production machine is more efficient than one single packing machine, an additional apparatus is required, by means of which a complete ream string can be transferred to another, second conveying line. This apparatus is, on the one hand, very complex to construct and has a very large constructional form in width and length. On the other hand, division of a ream string is not possible, so that the ream string can be transported in its entire length either to one side or the other, only.